Chiropractor here. There's a difference between a herniated and bulging disc, but if you're asking my two cents I'm much more inclined to recommend fusion surgery in the neck than the lower back. I'd say 80-90% of my pts with cervical fusions are successful to very successful. There's just less weight bearing stress in the neck than the lumbar spine so anatomy is in your favor there.

ESI's are a 50/50 proposition for most. And a stopgap at best if you have a weakened disc and any significant degenerative change/stenosis. Same with chiro and/or PT. None of those options are permanent fixes. I suppose neither is surgery which does come with some drawbacks, ie ROM loss, more stress on joints above and below fusion, etc. But as far as pain relief and overall favorable outcome, I'd push for the surgery.

All that being said, it sounds like you've only had an x-ray thus far. You (your doctor) can make an educated guess on what's going on based on dermatomal distribution of pain as well as degenerative change on x-ray, but they're just guessing without actually having an MRI. You don't see nerves and discs on plain films and you generally don't see inflammation either. You'll know a lot more about best option after those results.
[Reply]

Damn bro, hate to hear that. Here’s to a good surgery, and fast recovery. Bless up!!
[Reply]

I have a bulging C7 that I can largely manage. But yeah, when it gets too inflamed and that disc sits in between the vertebra and gets everything tense, it's just agony. Can't move your head anywhere and pain will radiate down both sides. With mine it can sometimes 'slip' to the left, right or center. When it's either side, I can typically get through it alright. But man, when it slips straight out the back, it just locks everything up, including my upper back.

I feel ya, dude. To have that level of pain constantly would be brutal. My orthos have all given me the same advice - management and making sure not to do things that force it out of alignment. I've gotten to where I'm even aware of what I do with my head when I yawn because tensing those neck muscles during a yawn and then turning my head will absolutely lock all that shit up. After awhile it became second nature so I don't deal with it nearly as often as I did in my 20s and early 30s.

But it sucks when it goes out and if the doc says surgery is a good idea, it's hard to argue otherwise. It's just such a debilitating spot to have pain because it impacts everything in your body from that point down.
[Reply]

I got an erection so big it destroyed my whole vertebrae / CP
[Reply]

I got one so big it destroyed my wife's vertebra.

But hey man, you do you.
[Reply]

That wasn't your wife and now my neck hurts
[Reply]

Better amputate it.
[Reply]

You obviously already have amputated and it didn't turn out well.
[Reply]

But no more pain in my neck. :-)
[Reply]

ive been experiencing neck issues for the past 5 years.....along with that, some serious bouts of vertigo and imbalance issues.

ANyone else have vertigo along with their neck issues - and was it cured from surgery?

I have 3 MRIs lined up, and hoping on the right track towards feeling better.
[Reply]

See a neurologist.
[Reply]

yep - got that on tap too - thanks!
[Reply]

If nobody has mentioned it do some research on the Mobi disc. That is what my wife had put in instead of having them fused together.

https://www.cervicaldisc.com/mobi-c
[Reply]

My wife had that happen and like 45% of her spine was pinched. They weren't sure how she wasn't dead (I had the answer but I kept it to myself.)

After surgery it took about 6 months for the pain and numbness to subside. She still does get the occasional bout of numbness but that's light years better than unbearable pain...
[Reply]

MRI results are back. Being sent to a cervical spine specialist.
[Reply]